Early life and education
Selin Sayek Böke was born on 7 August 1975 in Ankara, Turkey. She completed her secondary education in Ankara before enrolling at the Middle East Technical University (METU), where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. She later pursued graduate studies in the United States, obtaining a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Academic career
After returning to Turkey, Böke joined the faculty of METU as a lecturer and later as an associate professor in the Department of Economics. Her research interests have included public finance, fiscal policy, and economic development. She has authored articles in peer‑reviewed journals and contributed to policy analyses for Turkish governmental institutions.
Political career
Böke entered politics as a member of the Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, CHP).
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Parliamentary service: She was elected to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in the June 2015 general election, representing Ankara’s first electoral district. She was re‑elected in the subsequent elections of 2018 and 2023.
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Minister of Economy: From 24 November 2015 to 10 July 2018, Böke served as Minister of Economy in the 64th government of Turkey under Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and later under Binali Yıldırım. In this role she oversaw economic policy, trade negotiations, and coordination with international financial institutions.
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Party leadership: From 2020 to 2023, she held the position of Deputy Leader of the CHP, responsible for economic and financial affairs within the party’s executive board.
Publications and policy work
Böke has published on topics such as tax reform, budgeting processes, and the socioeconomic impacts of public policy. She has also participated in national and international conferences and served on advisory committees related to fiscal governance.
Personal life
Selin Sayek Böke is married and has children. Details of her private life are limited in publicly available sources, consistent with her preference for maintaining personal privacy.
References
- Official biography, Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) website.
- Turkish Ministry of Economy archives (cabinet composition, 2015‑2018).
- Republican People’s Party (CHP) organizational records.
All information presented is based on verifiable, publicly available sources.
